Steelers’ Pat Freiermuth Opens Up on Career Success Against Bengals
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Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth tried to explain his career success against the Cincinnati Bengals in an exclusive interview with Heavy Sports.
The Pittsburgh Steelers could really use a second pass-catcher to be a bigger part of their passing attack in Week 11. Only D.K. Metcalf has eclipsed the 260-yard mark for the season. In more recent weeks, it’s become too easy for opposing defenses to stop the Steelers attack by just double covering Metcalf.
One pass-catcher who has the talent to play a bigger role is tight end Pat Freiermuth. The good news for the Steelers is Freiermuth has a knack for excelling against the Cincinnati Bengals, who is the next opponent on Pittsburgh’s schedule.
Freiermuth isn’t 100% sure why he has performed so well versus the Bengals in the past. But he gave credit to his father.
“My Dad’s from Cincinnati, so maybe that’s it,” Freiermuth told Heavy Sports in an exclusive interview. “Maybe he’s given me some, like Cincinnati magic or something. I don’t even know. But yeah, maybe that’s it.
“I think they are just one of them teams, and schematically, I think I just play well against them.”
Freiermuth said his dad was a Bengals fan until the day he was drafted. The Steelers tight end has made a career out of carving up his father’s former favorite team.
In nine games against the Bengals, Freiermuth has averaged 5.3 catches and 66.7 receiving yards per contest. He has also scored six touchdowns.
Overall, Freiermuth has 600 receiving yards in his career versus Cincinnati. He doesn’t have more than 199 career receiving yards against any other team in the league.
Mike Tomlin Explains Pat Freiermuth’s Success Against Bengals
During the 2023 season, Freiermuth did post zero receptions in a game against the Bengals. However, he has at least 75 receiving yards or a touchdown in the other eight contests versus Cincinnati in his career.
In Week 7, Freiermuth had his best outing of maybe his entire career in the Queen City. The tight end posted five receptions for 111 yards and scored twice.
Freiermuth doesn’t have more than 33 receiving yards in any other game this season.
On Tuesday, head coach Mike Tomlin chalked up Freiermuth’s success against Cincinnati as more than just fatherly magic.
“They play a lot of zone, or they’ve played a lot of zone, particularly with their previous coordinator, and that’s why he’s had some big games against those guys,” Tomlin told reporters. “There is no secret that Muth has very good zone awareness, and he is a zone killer, and that’s why he’s had some of the games he’s had against those guys.”
Steelers’ Pat Freiermuth Leading Blood Drive
The Steelers would love for Freiermuth to be among the team leaders in receptions and receiving yards in the final seven weeks. Away from the field, the tight end is leading a blood drive to combat blood shortages around the United States.
The global health leader Abbott and the Big Ten Conference created the blood drive campaign called “The We Give Blood Drive.” In its second season, the drive is a competition among all Big Ten schools to see who will donate the most blood. The winning school will receive $1 million from Abbott to advance student and community health initiatives.
The Steelers tight end is campaigning for Big Ten fans, students and alumni to donate blood. He is especially pushing for Penn State students and alumni to make donations.
Freiermuth played at Penn State from 2018-20.
“It’s super big because there’s a blood shortage,” Freiermuth said. “Every two seconds in the United States, people need blood. So this is obviously important.
“With the blood shortage, I’m encouraging people to donate blood.”
Donations will be accepted through December 5. The Big Ten will announce the winning school at the conference’s championship game on December 6.
To sign up to donate blood for a particular school, visit BigTen.Org/Abbott.
Packers’ free agent tackle predicted to earn massive payday this offseason
The Green Bay Packers have had their share of offensive line problems this season. Elgton Jenkins just hit injured reserve. The injuries have been there all year and refuse to go away. Aaron Banks has disappointed – all $77 million of him.
In that context, availability and starting experience are especially valuable commodities. That’s what left tackle Rasheed Walker has given them. He has been superbly average. And heading into free agency this offseason, that might be more than enough to win him a frighteningly large paycheck.
Like MLB shortstops or NBA centers, Walker can make bank just by being capable at key position
According to an anonymous NFC executive, Walker could be looking at a contract that exceeds the four-year, $82 million deal that Tennessee’s Dan Moore, a comparably mid-tier tackle, netted last cycle.
As ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler notes, “big money awaits even average tackles.” Per Fowler, that executive expects to see Walker be “‘paid paid.'”
In his fourth NFL season, 43 starts into his career, Walker is the epitome of doing
Walker’s plus pass grade comes through in a 94.3% success rate, observes Bowen. That ranks seventh, a lot better than just average. He also “has the footwork and mobility to match speed on the edges.”
That said, Walker is not without fundamental flaws. “His technique could still improve, and he lacks a strong anchor,” Bowen also writes. It all adds up to a solid, perhaps slightly above-average player at an important position.
Whether the Packers believe he is worth over $20 million per year remains to be seen. In 2025, Walker is making $3.4 million in the final year of his rookie deal.
